Running solo on the driver side battery

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Feb 20, 2016 | 06:13 PM

granny_rocket

Thread Starter

More Turbo

Joined: Oct 2003

Posts: 553

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From: North Western New Jersey

Running solo on the driver side battery

I tried to start my truck today with only the driver side battery and she wouldn't start. Starter cranks but no fire. I know there isn't a problem starting as I had the truck running 10 min. prior. I only pulled the battery to access the back of the headlight bucket.

The positive battery cable is in good shape and interconnected. Cables on the driver battery were tight and clean (I cleaned them the day prior).

I thought it was odd it wouldn't Fire up. As soon as I out the pass battery back in it fired up like nothing was ever wrong.

Your Thoughts? I'm thinking maybe there's a bad ground somewhere? But if everything else works why would that be the case?

Thanks,

Feb 20, 2016 | 07:27 PM

Seanosu

Senior User

Joined: Jan 2016

Posts: 112

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The PCM will not power up with anything less than 10 volts. It was likely that with only one battery you were loosing voltage while cranking.

Feb 21, 2016 | 09:00 AM

tjc transport

i ain't rite

Joined: Mar 2005

Posts: 65,511

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From: Marlboro Mental Hospital.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seanosu

The PCM will not power up with anything less than 10 volts. It was likely that with only one battery you were loosing voltage while cranking.

^^^ this^^^
with only one battery you get enough power to run, or crank. but not enough to do both.

Feb 21, 2016 | 09:05 AM

oldbird1965

Fleet Owner

Joined: Aug 2004

Posts: 20,419

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From: AZ

Must be a weak battery. Couple of times I have pulled one battery out to use in another vehicle and my truck started OK on one battery.

Feb 21, 2016 | 09:31 AM

444dieselrod

Posting Guru

Joined: Aug 2004

Posts: 2,417

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From: Braham MN

Quote:

Originally Posted by oldbird1965

Must be a weak battery. Couple of times I have pulled one battery out to use in another vehicle and my truck started OK on one battery.

I was thinking the same thing, I've run a few summers with 1 battery cuz I stole the other out for the tractor....

Feb 21, 2016 | 11:59 AM

madpogue

Lead Driver

Joined: Oct 2003

Posts: 8,476

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From: Madison, WI

^^^ Two keywords above are "summers" and "AZ" (Glenn's location). February in NJ, not likely to happen. Another possible factor is that it was the driver's side battery and not the passenger side. The left-to-right positive cable is a smaller gauge than the one from the passenger side to the starter. If the OP were to try the same with just the passenger side battery, there'd be at least better chance of success. The PCM requires both a minimum voltage and minimum RPM to fire.